The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-31
THE WORLDS BIG GUNS.
Some of the Monsters Built for the Ships
and Forts Oh Foreign Powers.

Some of the Monsters Built for the Ships
and Forts OF Foreign Powers.
Washington Special.
The havoc made in the Atlantas fixtures by
the inadequacy of her gun carriages to hold
and control her pivot guns, calls attention to
the fact that while the latter very powerful
for an unarmored craiser of her size. they
would make small show compared with the
heaviest ordnance carried in war ships
The progress of thirty years in constructing
heavy guns has been extraordinary. The larg-
est pieces found on vessels in 1860 threw
ball weighing sixty eight pounds with an initial
velocity of 1.570 feet per second. and an energy
of ], 100 foot tons. Now initial velocties in
hieh-power guns have been increased to 2, lilo
feet; projectiles at the maximum weigh as much
as 2 800 pounds, and in some cases are propelled
by charges of nearly half ton Of powder, while
the 110-ton guns OF the Benbow reach an energy
of about 60, 600 foot tens.
Passing the triumpns obtained by inter-
mediate calibres, which were remarkable in
their day, we find that the largest French steel
guns. such used for the armament OF the
Terrible, completed at Brest, the Requin, built
at Bordeaux. the Indomitable built at l. Orient,
and the Caman. finished at Toulon, weigh each
about seventy-sx tons. They deliver a pro-
jectile weighing 1.7l6 pounds, with a muzzle
energy of 80, 900 foot tons. The guns are rifed
breeeh-loaders. The French have other power
full guns, those constructed on the Bange system
being well known
The Armstrong guns now mounted for Sc, 5ice
in the Italian armor-clads, Duilio, Daudolo.
Italia. and Lepanto, weight 100 tons each, and
throw projectile of 2. 900 pounds. These have
long been familiar, but the later breech- loading
guns are Improvements over the early muzzle-
leaders. The most powerful of them take
powder charge of about 772 pounds, and have an
initial velocity of l. S35 feet per second aud
muzzle energy of 81. 600 foot tons. Guns OF los
tons have also been made at Elswick for the
francesca LAURA, the Andrea Dona and the
Morosina In these the weight of the charge is
900 pounds, the weight of the projectile 1000
pounds. the muzzle velocity 2,0l9 feet per sec
ond, the muzzle energy 90, 547 loot tons These
will undoubtedly prove most formidable
weapons.
The largest Krupp gun weighs nearly 1i9
tons. 1t Is over 46 feet long, has a calibre of
l54 inches. and fires shot weighing 2,3l4
pounds, with muZzle velocity OF 1.SOO feet.
The maximum elevation gives it range of
nearly u miles. Its power of penetration into
wrought iron is estimated at about Al inches at
the muzzle. 81 inches at the distance of l, 100
yards, and 80 inches at 5000 yards. At the dis
lance of three miles its striking average Is still
about $4,000 foot tons. The Italians have TWO
of these guns mounted in shore battery. for
which purpose they intended.
The English 1l0tou gun, manufactured at
weight 247, 795 pounds. The screw block, re-
moved in loading weighs q tons The pro-
jectile is bolt weighing l. 800 pounds and 169
inches in diameter. With $50 pounds of pow
der. the actual muzzle velocity attained
2.078 feet and the muzzle energy 81 900 foot
tons; thatwith $50 pounds, which the gun
is constructed to use, energy on the pro-
jectile of 62. 700 foot tons is expected. The re-
coil of the gun is very small. Tho British also
have a powerful new gun in their 63-ton steel
breech loader, which will be carried the Rod
ney. II is expected TO throw a 49, -inch shot, OF
/ 1850 pounds, with powder charge of $50
pounds, and to attain 2, 100 feet muzzle velocity
Should these expectations be realized, this gun,
though much lighter will be more destructive
than the SO-ton gun of the Inaexible, which
takes projectlle of l, 700 pounds. with a cart
ridge of 450 pounds, reaching muzzle velocity
of / 900 feet.
II is said that the next step attempted in heavy
gun construction will that of 150-ton
monster, this project being attributed to the
Essen works. 1t would throw shell six feet
long. weighing ton and half. There also
some guns under construction which
pected to accomplish great results on somewhat
new theories, an the case of the CHE ruanu-f
featured for Colonel Hope. This is to take
enormous powder charge, and to have
responiingly great penetrative effect. But with
out going into the possible successes of the
future, those which have already been achieved
are sufficiently astonishing.